It almost becomes frustrating to consistently have to praise a filmmaker for their perpetual brilliance, to the point where one actually tends to yearn for a failure on occasion, just for the sake of changing the pace and having something new to talk about. In discussing the career of Alfred Hitchcock, you’d struggle to find a bad word to say about many of his films, such as North by Northwest, which is often considered one of his defining works, and the film that capped off arguably his greatest decade as a filmmaker, and proved many of the most fundamental qualities in previous films were not just happy accidents, but the work of a filmmaker whose control over the medium stands unmatched. A riveting, fascinating thriller that deftly blends multiple genres and gives audiences the chance to sample from the master’s distinct style and peculiar approach to his narratives, Hitchcock was at the very height of his career here, and showed very little sign of faltering. Wedged between his most significant masterpieces, with Vertigo appearing at one end and Psycho the other, this film is often seen as the middle-component of a triptych that changed cinema forever, and established Hitchcock as one of the most important filmmakers of all time, if he wasn’t already confirmed as such. Speaking or writing about Hitchcock is always both delightful and daunting – his films just lend themselves to rich, varied discourse from both sides, but they also present us with the often insurmountable challenge of describing his work, which exists as an almost unimpeachable entity, derived from a prolific career of a titan of cinema, who put out so many fascinating works, simply looking at one opens us up to a world of some of the most unabashedly brilliant artistry of its era.

In a career that was as diverse and wide-ranging as that of Hitchcock, it’s often difficult to find a clear sense of where his strengths lay – he was a master of suspense (to the point where the word is almost synonymous with the director), acerbic comedy and meaningful thrills, with even a few memorable forays into more romantic material. North by Northwest is one of the several films where Hitchcock blurred genre boundaries and embraced a new kind of filmmaking, one that borrows liberally from a number of sources, and results in something so absolutely unforgettable, it manages to define each of the many genres it takes inspiration from. Accounts on the creation of this film never fail to remark on how it was produced at a time in which the director was uninspired and grasping at a few different narrative threads, most of which ultimately ended up being at the core of North by Northwest, which is perhaps exactly what gives it the film the appearance of a multidimensional, vivid tapestry of genres, which are braided together to create a distinct film that is both defining of many kinds of stories, but strangely unclassifiable in its own right. It’s a fascinating approach that is put together with a kind of renegade brilliance that can only come from a director as assured of his craft as Hitchcock, an artist so interested in pushing the boundaries of the form, he inadvertently changes the industry in a small but pivotal way through his immense artistry, and his often blatant refusal to bow down to conventions, which created a series of sub-genres all on their own. Who else could lay claim to being simultaneously one of the finest observers of the artistic process, and one of its most steadfast critics other than someone whose entire career is taken from exploring the limits to what can be portrayed on screen, as well as one with the willingness to actually execute these multitudes of ideas?

All of this is so tremendously distilled into the creation of North by Northwest, which has all of the director’s finest qualities, but also a sense of looking beyond the confines of the particular genre, with this film having a very playing tone that keeps it from being pinned down to a particular style, which allows the audience to keep guessing, even on repeated viewings. Despite being a mystery film, North by Northwest holds up better than many others in the genre, so whether the viewer is revisiting the film or venturing into this world for the first time, there will always be surprises, with new qualities springing up, even for those who are fully accustomed to the story, and are aware of its many twists and turns. Hitchcock’s ability to keep us enthralled without sacrificing his own nuanced style of filmmaking is incredible, and immediately comes to be seen as the most significant quality of this and many other films. On the surface, North by Northwest is a thrilling espionage drama with generous portions of pitch-black comedy and some broad overtures of romance (perhaps the only area in which the film isn’t perfect, with the burgeoning love between the protagonist and a mysterious woman who helps him on his journey being the only aspect of the film that can be considered clumsy, while still having some merits). It’s a fascinating, insightful work of genre-bending fiction, one that combines the comforting sense of familiarity with a cutting-edge approach to a story that may not have the real-world implications today as it did sixty years ago, but it still quite understandably brilliant in its own way, remaining as fresh and enjoyable as it was at the time of its explosive release.

What normally tends to make a Hitchcock film so special is how it evokes a sense of recognizable comfort – his movies were always composed of a variety of factors that made them both thoroughly complex and fully-entertaining. Whether it be in the writing, with Ernest Lehman’s script being razor-sharp and filled with a biting wit in nearly every moment, or the more tangible factors, such as the characterization present throughout, North by Northwest is a deft work of unhinged artistry that is never quite satisfied for settling for the bare minimum. Naturally, at the heart of the film is Cary Grant, who is essentially the main reason to watch the film. Hitchcock had a tendency to bring out the best in his actors, which is a strange statement to make when considering someone with such immense stature as Grant, whose perpetual brilliance made him an incredibly fascinating actor, and someone who could legitimately lay claim to being one of the finest performers to ever work in the medium. The role of Roger Thornhill is not a complex one, but it couldn’t be played by anyone else – it needs someone who is effortlessly charming at every moment, whose suave intelligence was only buttressed by his incredible control of the lighter subject matter. As someone who cut his teeth in both hard-hitting dramas and early screwball comedies near the beginning of his career, Grant was the right person to play the part, and his reunion with Hitchcock allowed the two collaborators to bring out the best in each other. No one else really registers as a result – Eva Marie Saint is enchanting (but sadly underwritten, especially considering her strengths as an actress, which immediately set her apart from many of even the most beloved “Hitchcock blondes” of the era), and James Mason and Martin Landau are suitably devilish as the film’s main villains. This is a showcase for Grant, and everyone else just exists to fill in the spaces between his broad moments, which may seem reductive, but is perfect in the context of the film.

Even beyond the conceptual and performance level, North by Northwest is a film that achieves a great deal through very ambitious means. Much like “suspense”, the term “audacious” seems to be entirely defined by Hitchcock, and his constant attempts to venture beyond what was done before has always been something quite enduring about his legacy, and the reason why history has looked so favourably upon him, and inspired countless other artists, whether directors or otherwise, to attempt to replicate his style, or at the very least have the same devil-may-care attitude to their process as he did. He wasn’t a stranger to thrillers by any means, but North by Northwest was something slightly different, a film more built on combining a strong story with impressive technical prowess, and polishing it off with a sense of humour that allows all proceedings to have the sheen of unadulterated fun, more than anything else – the director was quite open about the fact that this film came from his own challenges in conceiving of a new idea, and his approach was to do something less brooding or complex, rather giving audiences the chance to see something truly entertaining. It does work out exceptionally well – North by Northwest is an incredibly enjoyable film, but not one that wastes even a passing moment, allowing each frame to have some thought-provoking sincerity alongside the bombastic entertainment of it all. On a purely technical level, this film has numerous moments that are truly indelible – the iconic crop-duster scene, the climax at the top of Mount Rushmore (the scene that inspired the film in the first place), and the unforgettable final shot of a train entering a tunnel, one of the many innuendos that Hitchcock so relished in inserting into every one of his films.

From the first moment, where we’re greeted by Saul Bass’ distinctive opening credits, to the final sequences of pulsating action and death-defying danger, North by Northwest keeps us engaged, which is certainly expected from a film made by someone whose work always reflected this keen sense of multimodality and impact, and whose consistent ability to extract so much from every potential situation has made Hitchcock one of the most fascinating filmmakers of his generation, and someone who has left an indelible impression on film culture. North by Northwest is a fascinating film – it is compulsively watchable, to the point that its lengthy running time barely even registers, since we’re so engrossed in watching this story unfold, we don’t even notice the form the story takes. Ultimately, this is a series of elaborate scenes sewn together by a fascinating story that gives credence to the often over-the-top appearance, and contextualizes what is one of the most unabashedly brilliant thrillers of its era. Like any great genre film, North by Northwest doesn’t only stand as an achievement on its own, but also functions as a truly compelling work that has influenced many others – the range of artists who have been influenced by this film, whether it be some element of the plot, or even a single shot, is widespread. It only helps that this still deserves every bit of acclaim it received initially, with Hitchcock’s assured direction, witty approach to bold material and perpetual search for some new aspect of the filmmaking process that will enthral viewers, very handily goes into constructing this as a total masterpiece.